lbj used his speech to great effect instead of precedence that remains with us. as we look forward to the president's big speech with the greatest of expectations. our anticipation goes beyond the tradition of excitement around the president's address to congress. it has everything to do with what we have come to exprotect from this particular president. when it comes to a public speech, holding forth on the big issues of the day, few have delivered like president barack obama. starting with a speech we heard from an illinois state senator that few of us knew speaking truth of power about the iraq war. in 2002, state senator barack obama said that's what i'm opposed to, a dumb war, a rash war, a war based not on reason or principle but on passion, not on politics. two years later, we still don't know him, but we would not soon forget him. after this keynote address at the 2004 democratic national convention. >> there is not a liberal america and a conservative america. there is the united states of america. there is not a black america and a white america and lat